Katie Thurston has opened up about something extremely personal and, unfortunately, extraordinarily painful.
On Friday, the former Bachelorette star revealed to the public that she is the victim of sexual assault.
In a candid Instagram post, Thurston detailed her experience following the rape, which included obtaining a rape kit and receiving support from a Sexual Assault Response Team (SART).
She did not elaborate on the incident or when it occurred.
![Katie Thurston reveals she was raped 9 Katie Thurston on the red carpet](https://thegurumedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/GettyImages-1478144188-1024x927.jpg)
![Katie Thurston reveals she was raped 10 Katie Thurston on a red carpet](https://thegurumedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/GettyImages-1478144188-1024x927.jpg)
“My pain has purpose, my purpose has power, I want to focus on the positive,” Thurston wrote in his first slide of his report at the time, continuing as follows:
“The justice system continues to fail victims every day. I refuse to feel defeated in the strength it took to be an advocate for myself. I hope my experience helps others feel the strength and support they need.”
“While I’m not ready to share my story, I want to share the valuable resources that saved my life.”
Thurston, who previously said The Bachelorette Had a Big Impact on his mental health, anchored this franchise in 2021.
In this last admission, she continued:
“I called 911 to report my rape. They sent a police officer to take my statement and then took me to a special medical center to do a SART exam…
“I felt like a lost, vulnerable and scared child.
“They explained the process thoroughly, asking for consent along the way and allowing me to decline or change my mind at any time.”
Thurston accepted a proposal from Blake Moynes to end her season… but then dated contestant John Hersey after Moynes ended their engagement.
She and Hersey broke up in summer 2022.
![Katie Thurston reveals she was raped 11 photography](https://thegurumedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/GettyImages-1431581403-683x1024.jpg)
![Katie Thurston reveals she was raped 12 Photography by Katie Thurston](https://thegurumedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/GettyImages-1431581403-683x1024.jpg)
Returning to your terrible experience, however…
“My blood was drawn to check for STDs, drugs and blood alcohol concentration,” Thurston wrote on social media about the aftermath of the attack.
“I was given Plan B, Rocephin (a shot for bacterial infections), Azithromycin (to treat possible STDs), and Truvada and nPEP for a month (to treat possible HIV).”
She and her followers know that this can be done by anyone, at no cost, in San Diego, even without health insurance.
The former reality TV star said she was given digital tools to help her track her medical test results.
“My kit would take four months to complete its cycle. Nothing could move until that was done, so the interim time allowed me to seek mental health support,” Thurston wrote.
![Katie Thurston reveals she was raped 13 GettyImages 1344208020](https://thegurumedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/GettyImages-1344208020-675x1024.jpg)
![Katie Thurston reveals she was raped 14 GettyImages 1344208020](https://thegurumedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/GettyImages-1344208020-675x1024.jpg)
One particularly vulnerable slide read: “I did everything I should have done as a rape victim. ‘Here are my texts, my calls, my photos, my videos, names, witnesses, locations, social media, timestamps, surveillance footage, DNA, my body.’
This slide concluded:
“The warning ‘a guilty verdict is difficult in a criminal court’ echoed through the months, like an annoying parrot you’ve been forced to keep. And as much as I heard it, I still wasn’t ready to be stopped. And yet, without warning, I was.”
Thurston previously acknowledged on a 2021 episode of Bachelorette that she was “involved in a situation where there was no consent” 10 years earlier on New Year’s Eve, though it’s unclear whether that incident is related to this one.
![Katie Thurston reveals she was raped 15 Katie Thurston on The Bachelor](https://thegurumedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/katie-thurston-on-the-bachelor.jpg)
![Katie Thurston reveals she was raped 16 Katie Thurston on The Bachelor](https://thegurumedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/katie-thurston-on-the-bachelor.jpg)
Thurston was a competitor in The Bachelor (as described above) before receiving the role of The Bachelorette.
In a statement to Entertainment Tonight after her Instagram post went viral, Katie shared:
“I have had widespread support from my community, which has allowed me to remain strong over the past seven months.
“While the outcome is disappointing, I am at peace and turning any pain into purpose and hope to help other survivors of sexual assault.”